Pokemon: Three Prodigies
by MysteryElectric
Summary: A trainer fic about 3 trainers who discover their aptitude for battling early on, their quest to be the best trainer, and a nefarious team who wishes to draw them into their own nefarious designs to overthrow the government and establish themselves as the overlords of the region...
1. Prologue: Greatest Trainer In Sinnoh

Prologue: The Most Powerful Trainer in Sinnoh, Part I

"Heracross, this is your chance! One last Brick Break on Gastrodon, now!"

At its trainer's command, the Heracross launched itself off the ground at incredible speed as it prepared to lay a devastating downward strike into its weakened opponent. Its trainer, a slight but tanned fifteen-year-old boy with messy brown hair that partially covered his chestnut-brown eyes, mimicked the movement with his own arm as his Heracross scored a direct hit on his opponent, which the boy identified as an East Sea variant of Gastrodon. The boy could tell the difference, because this variant had a blue underbelly and a green shell, which can only be found on wild Gastrodon east of Mt. Coronet. The other variant, he remembered, was brown with a pink shell. While he was pondering this, he heard the tournament referee declare the Gastrodon unable to battle and the resultant cheer from the crowd, and he quickly snapped back into reality to congratulate his Heracross, who was zipping around in circles in the air due to excitement over its latest victory.

The 28,000-strong crowd began cheering as he was presented with a gold medal for winning the Sinnoh Young Trainers' Invitational, a tournament held in Hearthome City's Contest Dome for trainers under the age of 18 who have displayed considerable battle prowess. All the trainers were fairly skilled and had a few Gym Badges and tournament experience, but this boy had far exceeded everyone's expectations by winning the tournament without any of his Pokémon being defeated. It was obvious to everyone that he was far beyond the skill level of everyone else in the tournament. This trainer had made quite an impression on a tall young platinum-blonde woman in a black dress, although this woman was known as a Trainer of great repute herself. In fact, she happened to be Cynthia, Pokémon League Champion of Sinnoh, and she was considered to be one of the best greatest battle prodigies of modern times. She went out on her journey at the tender age of 11, and by the time she was 13 she defeated all 8 of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders of the time, including Fantina, Volkner, Byron, Crasher Wake, and Candice.

This trainer was the first person other than Steven Stone, Lance or Alder that she had seen in years that she wasn't entirely sure she could beat in battle. The prospect of battling this incredibly talented trainer excited her so much that she ran after him when he left the dome to challenge him to a battle.

"Hello! Excuse me! Wait!" Cynthia called out at the boy as he walked out of the stadium.

"Hmm?" The boy turned around, his brown hair whipping around before settling into place and obscuring his forehead. "Wait... You look familiar."

"I am Cynthia, League Champion of Sinnoh. Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine. I am Darius. I assume you watched me in the tournament?"

"Absolutely! You were beyond extraordinary! I have not been so thrilled watching someone battle since Iris defeated Alder to become Champion almost three years ago."

"I appreciate the compliment. Is that all you wished to come talk to me about, ma'am?"

"Don't call me ma'am, it makes me feel old. Just call me Cynthia."

"Sorry, Cynthia. Is there anything you wished to ask me or tell me?"

"I do have one thing I want to ask. I want to battle you."

"I accept your challenge, but I can't battle right now. My Pokémon are tired."

"Understandable. I wish to challenge you tomorrow, at the Dome. If we simply battled in the street or out on a route it would cause major havoc in the street."

"Cynthia, I accept your challenge! See you tomorrow. What time?"

"1:00. I want to make sure that my Pokémon and I have lunch."

Word spread quickly about Cynthia's challenge to the mysterious wonder trainer that had won the tournament almost effortlessly using only the same 3 Pokémon throughout the tournament. By 8:00 that night the press had managed to track down where Darius was staying and they were begging for interviews.

"Darius, do you think you can win?"

"Where are you from?"

"Can we see your other Pokémon?

Darius declined to answer all the questions and shut the door, telling the reporters that he would rather let the battle, not the press, judge his abilities as a Trainer. He went to sleep that night rather late, due to his excitement about the upcoming battle. The Champion of the region had just challenged him, which was almost completely unheard of in any region, even for trainers that had won the Pokémon League tournament.

The day had finally arrived. Darius was standing across the battlefield from Cynthia, mentally preparing for the battle of his life. His palms were sweating but he knew the nervousness would dissipate when he got into the rhythm of battle. Cynthia was becoming visibly excited, as her grey eyes seemed to glow with anticipation when the rocky battlefield rose up to the level of the floor and bridged the gap between them.

"This is a full 6-on-6 battle! Switching is allowed by both sides! The battle will end when both sides' Pokémon are defeated or one side calls a forfeit! Now, BEGIN!" The referee waved his flag to signal the start of the battle as the crowd cheered loudly.

"Go, Garchomp!" Cynthia sent out her star Pokémon, the Ground-and-Dragon hybrid land shark known for its extreme rarity, unmatchable power and terrifying speed. Many heavily publicized matches have been decisively ended by its incredibly powerful Giga Impact.

Darius decided to send out his Heracross in response.

"Darius has responded to Cynthia by sending out his Heracross, whose devastating Brick Break won him the tournament! But is its impressive physical strength any match for Garchomp's raw power and the power of Garchomp's own Brick Break?" the announcer asked the excited 42,000 strong crowd that gathered from all over Hearthome and the nearby cities to watch, not to mention the many thousands more that were watching on television.

The crowd's murmuring became louder as they anticipated the first move.

"Why didn't he choose an Ice type or a Flying type?"

"Why didn't he use his Serperior? It's his strongest Pokémon."

"Cynthia's got this in the bag."

"Heracross, Bulk Up!" Darius ordered. Heracross began glowing as it increased its Attack and Defense, a well-chosen move for a Pokémon that relies on physical attacks and needs to withstand Garchomp's own brutal attacks.

"Garchomp, Giga Impact! Finish it before it starts!" Cynthia ordered, in hopes that it would defeat Heracross before it could land an attack.

"Giga Impact so early? That's a risky move, but it's unlikely that Heracross could stand up to that even after a Bulk Up." The announcer commented over the microphone.

"Heracross, dig in with your feet! Absorb the blow!" Darius called out to Heracross desperately.

Garchomp's attack connected, sending Heracross flying and tearing up the rocks in a spectacular display of power. Heracross hit the ground hard, but a green glowing energy began to surround him.

"What's this? Heracross is still able to continue?" The announcer said in utter amazement as the whole crowd collectively gasped. Heracross managed to get up as its Swarm ability took effect, giving it a second wind as it recovered from the punishing attack. Cynthia visibly became worried, realizing that she had truly met a trainer worthy of her steel. Garchomp had to recharge and it was visibly shocked that its opponent was still able to battle after the direct hit.

"Heracross, use Reversal!" Darius commanded. Heracross slammed Garchomp with the powerful Reversal attack, a move that hits for more damage the more injured a Pokémon is.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!" Cynthia called out to Garchomp, who had finished recharging. Garchomp leaped high in the air to ready itself for the attack when Heracross flew up, grabbed Garchomp's arms and pinned them to its sides.

"Megahorn!" Heracross hit Garchomp in the snout with its glowing horn, causing Garchomp to be sent flying. Normally, a Bug-type move would do average damage to a Garchomp, but thanks to Swarm's effects, Megahorn was much more powerful than normal. Garchomp fell to the ground in considerable pain from the direct hit, and it struggled to get up while Heracross started to pant from fatigue.

"Finish it, Heracross! Brick Break!" Darius called out to Heracross, certain that the next attack would decide who would lose their first Pokémon.

"Garchomp, Brick Break as well!"

The two attacks collided perfectly as Heracross' forearm struck Garchomp's fin, and the resulting explosion caused a sand cloud to obscure the field and the two combatants. Both Cynthia and Darius began to sweat nervously and stare at the cloud of sand obscuring their Pokémon, knowing a collision of such great magnitude probably means one or both of their Pokémon would be unable to continue...


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Starting the Fire

"Professor, have the kids arrived yet?" A young intern asked his boss, a hulking blonde, Nordic man in a large lab coat that barely reached his waist.

The man turned around and looked at his intern with his slightly bloodshot blue eyes, which were normally fixated on his research and bloodshot from late nights spent in the lab.

"Professor? Professor Fern?" The intern asked.

"I told you, just call me Isaac. By the way, yes, a young brown haired boy arrived and took a Snivy about an hour ago. He said he wanted Snivy due to it being much faster than the other two. They're barely kids, though, they're almost 16." Professor Fern replied.

Just as he finished his sentence, another boy that looked to be around 15 walked in.

"Hello, Professor. I'm Alex, and I'm here for my starter Pokémon. What are my choices?"

"Well met. I'm afraid someone already took our Snivy, but there's a Tepig or an Oshawott if you so choose to have them." The Professor replied to Alex matter-of-factly.

"Good thing I wanted a Tepig!" Alex laughed.

"Alright then, looks like we're off to a good start! Your Tepig knows Tackle and Tail Whip, by the way." Fern said, waving to him as he left the lab.

"Thanks, Professor! I'll take good care of him!" Alex called to him as he exited the lab, excited to start a new journey.

On his way out, Alex nearly ran into a short, brown-haired girl that looked like she was around his age.

"Excuse you, dork." She snarled at the unwitting boy.

"Uhhh... Terribly sorry..." Alex started backing away.

"Wait here. I'm going to get my Pokémon, and then I'll crush you in a battle with it." The girl derisively sneered at Alex, who was stunned by the girl's sudden challenge.

"Uhhh... there's only an Oshawott left." Alex half-heartedly called to her, but she was already inside the lab. She came out just as quickly as she rushed in, her brown eyes seeming to ignite with excitement as she sent out her newly acquired Oshawott to battle. He was momentarily stunned, but he sent out his Tepig, who seemed somewhat confused by the sudden activity and being sent out into battle.

"Tepig, use Tackle!" Alex called out to his Pokémon, who started running at the Oshawott recklessly.

"Shelly, hit it headlong! Tackle as well!" The girl called out. The two Pokémon were about to collide when a pair of Pidove blew them away with a Gust attack.

"Alright, let's postpone the battle! These Pidove need to be taken care of, NOW!" The girl yelled, before motioning to her Oshawott to attack.

"TACKLE!" The two trainers yelled in unison, as their Pokémon struggled to hit the quickly flying and strangely aggressive Pidove. Eventually, the girl's Oshawott grazed the wing of a Pidove, causing it to lose altitude for just long enough for Tepig to hit it head-on with a full-power Tackle. The Pidove was not unconscious but it made no move to get up. The other Pidove continued to relentlessly attack but it was eventually sent flying into the bushes by a Tackle from Oshawott. Alex thought he heard a distinct rustling, but he figured it was probably the Pidove getting up and fleeing. Meanwhile, the girl took a Poké Ball from her belt and captured the remaining Pidove without too much struggling on the Pidove's part.

"It would probably be best if we battle another time. Do you have a TMA?" The girl asked Alex.

"Trainer Mobile Assistant, right? Yeah, one sec." Alex pulled out his phone and gave it to the girl.

The girl then gave the phone back to Alex after typing into it for a few seconds. "Gotta run, I have some training to do and gyms to beat!" She giggled mischievously before taking off down the path.

Alex looked at the phone and saw the Girl's Trainer card pop up on the screen.

Marcia Desmond, age 15. Pokémon: Oshawott ("Shelly"), Pidove ("Aero"). Trainer for 2 hours. 0 Badges.

He couldn't help but think about how, now that he actually got a decent look at her on her trainer card, that she was actually really pretty. Not that a pretty girl could thwart his plans to become Pokémon League Champion. It's not like he actually liked her or something, anyway, right? Alex shook these thoughts out of his head as he looked at the map function on his TMA.

"The easiest way to go is through Elderwood Trail... Okay. Maybe I can catch a Pokémon or two on the way." Alex muttered to himself as he wandered off into the woods with his Tepig trotting along beside him.

Unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by a frustrated man in a black hoodie that obscured his face, a purple crescent moon on the part of the hood overtop his eyes, his head poking out over the bushes obscuring his torso. "The device seemed to work, but the Pokémon here are evidently too weak to cause any major disturbance. Those two trainers took down the Pidove I loosed on them... Oh well. Better get back with the field reports before they get too impatient with me." Silently, he slunk into the shadows of the forest that shielded him from view, leaving nobody the wiser.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Rookie

The forest air seemed to be still, not from any sort of ominous presence, but just from a general quiet that enveloped this whole vicinity. This trainer had decided to take a more obscured path, in hopes of finding rarer Pokémon than what could be found on the beaten paths. Unfortunately, he'd been in the forest for 3 hours and the silence was beginning to frustrate this normally patient Trainer. Not so much as a Rattata had come over spoiling for a fight, which was really aggravating for a Trainer that knew well enough that making the first attack on a wild Pokémon would often leave you at a disadvantage. The Pidove and Sewaddle had all left him alone, which was good for him because the Pokémon he had with him had a distinct disadvantage against bugs and flying types. As he began to tire of walking in the forest, he noticed a mossy tree stump and decided to sit down. He figured his Pokémon was beginning to tire of simply sitting in a Pokéball, so he pressed the button in the centre of the red-and-white capsule, letting loose a bright flash of white that materialized itself into a Snivy.

"So, Snivy, you feel hungry?" The young man motioned to a sandwich, and the Pokémon's half-closed eyes quickly snapped open with interest as it noticed the sandwich. The Trainer had cut it into quarters to make sure Snivy didn't get too greedy. As Snivy slowly ate its food, the Trainer smirked to himself while thinking about how a grass-type Pokémon could be carnivorous even though it was capable of photosynthesis. He returned back to reality to see that Snivy was on full alert, glaring at some unseen foe. The branches above the pair began to rustle violently as a large pinkish-purple object fell out of the trees and onto the rest of the Trainer's sandwich, annoying him greatly because he was looking forward to eating the rest of it when he got to the next town.

To his surprise, the object began to move. It was a large pinkish Pokémon, with wing-like flaps underneath its arms, sharp pincers at the end of each arm, two pronounced fangs, its tongue lolling out between them in shock, and a long tail with a bulbous stinger at the end. The Trainer identified it as a Gligar, a Pokémon that was obviously not at home in a temperate forest like this one. It was obvious that this Pokémon had gotten lost and glided into the forest by accident, having fallen after thrashing about in the branches it had unwittingly caught itself in. It also seemed to be injured, making no move to attack Snivy but simply just lay there, moaning and gasping for air. Before Gligar could even process what happened, it was captured in a Pokéball. This trainer could not pass up an opportunity to catch a rare Pokémon like Gligar, especially if it was already ready to catch.

Soon after catching Gligar, Darius found himself back on the main path into town, filled with Trainers and wild Pokémon spoiling for a good fight. However, something was about to change in his view of battling. His inexperienced Snivy was about to get a culture shock into the world of battle, much like many Pokémon raised in captivity.

A young boy with his T-shirt grimy from being in the outdoors all day suddenly caught his eye. Of course, Darius knew what that meant on the open road: _Battle time. _The boy wordlessly released his Patrat from the Pokéball and looked expectantly at Darius. Darius sent out his Snivy, who had not yet battled against another Pokémon, and waited for the inevitable command.

"Tackle!" Patrat sprang into action, charging headlong at the startled Snivy.

"Snivy, collect yourself, and roll sideways." Darius coolly responded. Snivy quickly rolled just before the attack landed, making Patrat lose its footing. "Tackle it." Patrat was rammed brutally in the side, and it coughed up a few flecks of blood as it picked itself back up. "Again." Patrat was hit square in the nose by Snivy's forehead, causing it to squeal in pain. Darius began to tense up as he saw the damage the Patrat had taken because of his command. "Snivy... tackle it again." Snivy hesitated when he heard the uncertainty in his Trainer's voice, but went ahead with the attack.

"Patrat, trip it with your tail." Patrat tripped up Snivy, who ran quickly but not quickly enough to interrupt the dodge. "Bite." Patrat sank its teeth into Snivy, who screamed as blood began to trickle out of the wound. Regardless, Patrat held on, hoping for Snivy to eventually fall.

"Snivy, shake it!" Darius began to panic as he began to see his Snivy in great pain. Snivy, however, was still more collected than Darius, as he rolled, smacking Patrat's head on the ground and making it lose its grip. Snivy fell down in pain after shaking it off, blood trickling down its serpentine body, but it still held a determined glare.

"Patrat, wrap it up! Tackle!" Patrat began to charge at Snivy, who was struggling to raise its head. As Patrat was about to strike however, Snivy began to glow green.

"Wha..." Darius flipped open his TMA.

"_The Snivy, Bulbasaur, Treecko, Chikorita, and Turtwig families of Pokémon will begin to glow green if they are on the losing end of a battle and in serious danger of fainting. This is the Overgrow boost, giving them a second wind and boosting the power of Grass-type attacks."_

"Patrat, no hesitation! Bite!" Patrat was about to bite the fallen Snivy when Snivy suddenly opened its eyes and sprang up, knocking Patrat flying into a nearby tree and fainting it in one hit with a swift surprise tackle. Snivy then fell onto the ground, not quite fainted but breathing heavily as the Overgrow boost started to dissipate after the battle. Darius' hand was shaking as he administered his only Potion to the battered starter Pokémon, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Hey man, great battle!" The boy walked up to Darius. "Judging by the way your hands are shaking, you don't battle very often, do you?"

"First time." Darius said as his voice wavered. "I studied battles for a long time and I've seen battles before, but it's really different when you're in one. It doesn't seem to be so... messy when you're watching it."

"Man, I remember my first battle against another trainer with my Patrat. I panicked when the other guy's Purrloin got a critical hit with Scratch and lost. This is the first time I've lost this week, though. By the way, I'm Pete. Nice to meetcha." Pete offered his hand to help Darius back to his feet. "Trained Pokémon are a lot stronger than wild ones. Your Snivy is pretty strong, but I suggest you avoid other Trainers until you've had some experience with the wild Pokémon around here. Wild Patrat around here don't know Bite and they're a lot weaker. I just suggest you avoid Pidove because of the type disadvantage, but they don't really fight much anyway."

"I got a Gligar in reserve just in case. No worries about flying types here."

"HOW? Gligar don't live anywhere near here!"

"I found one in the woods tangled in the branches, so I caught it."

"That's AWESOME! Well, good luck on your travels! A good bit of training and maybe poor Robert might have a decent challenger! Haha!"

"Robert, eh..." Darius thought to himself as he walked away from the scene of his first battle. Robert was probably the next town's Gym Leader, he deduced, and he made a mental note to do some research that night.

Suddenly, two Pokémon snarled at him from a patch of dark, thick grass. They revealed themselves to be a Zigzagoon and a Patrat, and they squared up raring to go against yet another human intrusion into their territory. Darius released Snivy and Gligar to attack, but his Pokémon were both hit before he could issue a command. Gligar seemed unfazed as it jumped off its tail and began to glide in the air, hovering just out of reach of its attackers.

"Gligar, good job! Snivy, Tackle Patrat!" Snivy began to charge when a zigzagging Tackle from the quickly-moving Zigzagoon hit Snivy in the side. Before Darius knew what was going on, Gligar clamped his pincers onto the unwitting Zigzagoon, who began howling in pain as Gligar didn't loosen his grip. "Snivy, get up and tackle Patrat!" Snivy sent Patrat flying with a quick strike, but Patrat got up almost immediately and squeaked loudly in protest. Gligar thrusted his stinger into the squealing Zigzagoon, and it began to shiver as the poison took hold. Gligar then flew upwards to evade Patrat's Tackle attack.

"Good job, Gligar! Snivy, use Tackle on Patrat!" Snivy was overwhelmed by both Pokémon attacking him, and hesitated long enough for two Tackles to hit consecutively, but it still held firm against the onslaught. The Zigzagoon cried out as its body glowed purple and the poison damage took effect.

"Tackle Zigzagoon, Snivy! Gligar, Poison Sting on Patrat!" At Darius' command, Gligar tried to attack, but the Patrat was too fast and adeptly avoided its attack. Snivy tackled the shaking Zigzagoon, causing its eyes to go blank and glassy as consciousness slipped out of it. The wound from Gligar's stinger began seeping blood as its body shivered involuntarily. Patrat reared around for a charge at Snivy, but Snivy suddenly struck Patrat with vines without warning, causing it to fall over next to Zigzagoon, too injured to continue, as the lash wounds from the vines were streaked with red. Darius battled 2 more Patrat on the route, but they were quickly felled by Snivy's newly learned Vine Whip.

As Darius got into town, he quickly ran to the Pokémon Centre to get his Gligar and Snivy ready to go as well as allowing himself to rest for a night. The Pokémon Centre no longer allowed Trainers to stay for free, but the money his mom gave him before he left was more than enough to not only cover the cost of his stay but also to buy some Potions and Antidotes.

He walked up to the counter of the building, which was unlike most Pokémon centres because its interior deco was not unlike that of a hunting lodge, with beautiful brown laminated wood floors and wooden tables. Even the Pokémart had wooden shelves and cabinets instead of the traditional metal and glass display cases. Instead of a big blue sign it simply had a wooden hanging sign that said "MART" in big block letters written in black paint. A gray stone fireplace was off to the left, though few people were making use of it simply because it was the end of spring and the weather was warm, even at night. He only saw a boy about his age with a curled-up Tepig at his feet, talking to a Hiker on the couch and laughing.

"Identification, please."

Darius turned to see a woman who appeared to be a 40-year-old woman in a nurse's uniform staring at the desk. She was a plain-looking woman with fair skin, wavy brown hair and dull green eyes, and her long fingernails were clacking on the desk in a way that annoyed the young man, but he still went to the counter. He handed over his Trainer card to the woman, who put it into the reader.

"Darius Revion. Oh, you're a rookie trainer, hmmm? Lemme see those Pokémon."

Darius handed over his two Pokéballs to the nurse.

"These Pokémon haven't had an examination yet in our databases, so this may take a bit. Feel free to stick around." The nurse walked into the back with the two Pokéballs, so Darius decided to turn around and go find a place to sit. At this point, the other boy was sitting alone because the Hiker had left and he was playing some sort of game on his TMA, so Darius sat on the couch opposite to him and decided to take inventory of his supplies.

"Dammit! Stupid piece-of-crap game." The other boy angrily locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket, having evidently lost at whatever game he was playing. "Hey, what's up?" The boy looked at Darius with casual interest, having nothing else to do.

"My Pokémon are in for an examination. You?" Darius replied.

"My Tepig here is done. It's too late to do much so I'm gonna stick around here and grab a slice of pizza or something later." The boy replied. His Tepig snorted as it looked up at Darius with obvious interest. It had a black eye, evidently from a recent battle, but it still appeared to be in good condition. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Darius. Yours?"

"Alex. Add yourself in my TMA, I feel like you'd be fun to battle in the future." The boy responded.

"So did you just get that Tepig?"

"Yup. Just started out today. What about you?"

"I got a Snivy from Professor Fern earlier today, and caught a Gligar that crash-landed in the woods about an hour and a half ago."

"Really? I got my Tepig from Professor Fern. Funny that I met you here."

"Agreed. Well, see you later, I'm gonna go eat."

"Peace man." Alex simply nodded his head as Darius went on his way. The two boys hadn't really said much to each other, but they had already connected as friends in the way that boys often do when they first meet another boy they have something in common with. As he walked away, Darius began to think about the Pokémon gym that was in the town, which was located in the basement of a coffee pub that turned into a bar at night. He figured out that the local gym specialized in normal-type Pokémon and they were considered to be one of the easier gyms to win at. He went over and got himself a cheap cheeseburger before sitting down at an empty table. He was tired from a full day of battling with his new Pokémon, and the rest of the evening passed in a haze as he picked up his Pokémon from the nurse and headed off to his temporary room on the second floor for the night.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Chance Encounter

Alex had begun his walk towards the Gym to scout it out 2 mornings after meeting Darius, his Tepig walking in tandem with him through the cobblestone sidewalks of the town. The bakery beside the Pokémon Centre had just opened for the day and the smell of fresh bread nearly lured Tepig into the store, but Alex diverted Tepig and himself from the delicious smell, in a rare demonstration of self-control. Most of the other stores were still closed, except for a fletcher's hut with a wide variety of recurve and compound bows on display.

They had become fairly adept at battling the native wild Pokémon and had beaten every Trainer he had faced out on the routes. Tepig had learned Ember fairly easily and used it to adeptly defeat all the Sewaddle and Patrat that were plentiful around the wooded route through which he had entered the town, and it seemed to be growing stronger at an astonishing clip.

Alex, upon consulting his TMA's map feature, decided to cut through the park across the deserted street in order to take a shortcut. He nearly ran headlong into a young jogger and his Whismur, and his emergency diversion caused him to land in a bush, cutting his forehead and scratching him up. The jogger wordlessly extended his hand to help him up.

"Thanks!" Alex said, but as he was about to head on his way, the man called to him.

"You're a Trainer, correct?" The man, who looked to be around 20 with black hair and brown eyes, looked at him in a way that every Trainer instinctively understood: _Battle time._

Without another word, the jogger sent out a Zigzagoon. It began running around in circles upon being sent out, with such speed that it became a spinning brown ball of fur.

"Tepig, use Tackle!" Tepig began to run at the Zigzagoon while squealing loudly, attempting to intimidate its opponent.

"Zigzagoon, tackle it." Zigzagoon used the momentum from its spin to execute an absurdly fast zigzagging Tackle that sent Tepig flying with very little to no effort at all.

"Tepig, you can take more than that!" Tepig began to shoot flames out of its nose when it had regained its footing, realizing this opponent was a force to be reckoned with.

"Pin Missile, now." Zigzagoon's fur stood up on end as multiple needles shot out of its coat.

"Ember, Tepig!" Tepig shot multiple small flames that destroyed the needles, but the burning needles released a nauseating stench upon combusting, distracting Tepig long enough for another round of Pin Missile to hit. The needles caused Tepig to bleed in multiple spots as it squealed in pain.

"Zigzagoon, Headbutt!" Zigzagoon rushed headlong at Tepig, whose Blaze reaction kicked in as it started charging headlong towards Zigzagoon.

"Tepig, what are you doing?" Alex yelled frantically at Tepig. Tepig's body became shrouded in flames as it picked up speed, and it managed to hit Zigzagoon on its side before it could land its attack. Zigzagoon shrieked as the fire singed its fur

"Your Tepig just learned Flame Charge. Congratulations." The trainer said with slight interest, but in a way that betrayed no worry about losing.

"Tepig, keep it up! Ember!" Tepig released much bigger flames from its mouth than before, knocking Zigzagoon back slightly. "Tackle once more! Finish it!"

"Don't be too confident. Dig." Zigzagoon dodged the tackle by quickly burrowing into the ground, tripping Tepig up as it tried not to fall in. Zigzagoon popped up directly underneath Tepig, sending it back to the ground with a _Whump _as it landed, coughing up blood before it slumped to the ground in defeat.

Alex simply stood, stunned at how a common Zigzagoon could beat his Tepig. His Tepig had beaten all the other Zigzagoons he had encountered before in the wild, so he felt slightly humiliated by the defeat.

"I'm afraid I didn't properly introduce myself yet. I'm Robert, this town's Gym Leader." Robert extended his hand to the stunned Alex, who took a few seconds to clue in and extend his own hand. "Most of my challengers don't put up a fight like that. I'm impressed. Your Tepig is well on its way to evolving, and if you catch one or two more Pokémon and evolve your Tepig into Pignite I suggest you come and challenge my gym."

"Do I have to evolve my Tepig before I'm allowed to battle you again?" Alex asked, somewhat impatiently.

"No, but my gym is all normal-types. Pignite is a fighting-type, so it will have a significant advantage. You'd certainly be able to beat my Zigzagoon, but my Herdier is a different story entirely!" Robert laughed before walking away smiling. _"Maybe I'll have a decent challenger for once."_ He thought to himself.

Robert's main frustration was that most of the trainers in this town were too afraid to battle him, which meant that his Pokémon didn't get as much battling in as they wanted to. He'd been undefeated for 4 months so far, and he was sometimes considered to be the weakest gym leader in the region, along with his buddy Damian, a gym leader two towns over. Of course, the reason he was considered one of the weakest Gym Leaders would partially be because the two hardest gyms in the region were considered to be insurmountable. In fact, only three trainers had conquered the Scaled Castle last year, the Dragon-type gym in the far north.

Robert returned to the gym to find a 12-year-old boy with short brown hair nursing his injured Lillipup and Patrat and digging through his bag for a Potion.

"Hey, Joel." Robert greeted the youth and threw him another Potion.

"Hey, Rob. Some guy came in here earlier with a Snivy and a Gligar and just wiped the floor with Patrat and Lillipup here. He said his name was Darren or Darius or something." Joel said flatly while spraying his Patrat with the Potion. "He left after the battle because my Lillipup took out his Gligar and he muttered something about needing more training."

"Did you tell him about the power station?" Robert asked.

"Yeah, I think he headed over there." Joel told him.

"I had an interesting battle today too. Some hotshot named Alex nearly ran into my Whismur, so I battled him with Zigzagoon and I beat his Tepig. He was pretty impressive, though; my Zigzagoon got a good run for its money. I suspect this may be Professor Fern's latest batch of Trainers." Robert recounted to Joel rather excitedly. It had been a while since there were any serious challengers to the Gym, and the fact that Joel's Lillipup had been taken out by the mysterious trainer meant that Robert might finally have a good match again in the near future.

Unbeknownst to Darius, he was about to have his first encounter with Marcia at the power station, a similar encounter to Alex's first battle with her gone awry. It seems that she attracts trouble wherever she may go...


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Shadow Device

The power station that Robert referred to was an old, decrepit coal plant from many years ago that had become a training ground for many young Trainers over the years. Native Pokémon included Patrat, Voltorb, Lillipup, Koffing, Elekid, and Magby, which made this place ideal for those who intended to catch Pokémon to puff up their roster, or even just battle for practice. Today, however, not many trainers were out. The wild Pokémon seemed to be absent or hiding, so there wasn't really much reason to hang around the decrepit building, but Darius was an exception. He had both Snivy and Gligar out of their Pokeballs, and they were practicing their techniques on nearby targets. Snivy was attempting to lift a barrel with its vines, while Gligar was practicing aerial strafing on a signpost with the sign long since removed. He eventually got bored and ventured into the building, wondering where the Pokémon might be hiding, only to see about 300 Pokémon marching further into the building like mindless automatons in 5 single-file lines, with a group of Koffing following behind the terrestrial Pokémon in a similar way.

He saw five suspicious black-clad people with odd smartphone-like devices in their hands fall into line behind them, as if to make sure the Pokémon didn't fall out of line. Darius, curiosity piqued, silently motioned to his Pokémon to follow silently. Luckily, Snivy and Gligar were species very inclined to stealth, so they had no trouble sneaking in with Darius unnoticed. All of a sudden, however, he heard a female voice yelling angrily in the factory, and abandoned his self-assigned stealth mission to investigate.

What he saw was a girl staring defiantly at two black-clad criminals with similar devices in their hands.

"No, I'm not letting you get away with this! You horrible people! Kidnapping and hypnotizing Pokémon just so you can round them up for your own misdeeds... I WON'T STAND FOR IT!" The girl screeched at the two suspicious people.

He looked closer at the criminals to see that it was a woman and a man. They both had smirks on their faces.

"Look, sweetie, either you run away now, or we pulverize you and keep your Pokémon, and we might even..." The woman began and then paused, as if to think of the right word.

"Forcefully persuade you to join our cause." The man finished her sentence for her. "I mean, I don't like your odds, you're going 2 against 1 here."

"What about 2 on 2?" Darius calmly walked up to the man and looked him in the eye. Even though he suddenly tensed up and got nervous, he also knew he'd hate himself for abandoning this poor girl when she got in over her head.

"Now that sounds like fun!" The man grinned.

"Shut it. I'm Cheryl, this idiot is Darryl, and you two are our new victims! En garde!" The woman snarled with a positively predatory grin, like a hunter who found its quarry.

Both Cheryl and Darryl pulled out Pokéballs and released their first Pokémon: a pair of Zubat. They flew erratically as they came out before orienting themselves and flapping their wings to remain aloft in one place. The Zubat didn't look very high-level, however, and it became obvious that these two were simply guards to run distraction while the real operation was going on.

"Attack, Gligar!" Darius sent out his Gligar, knowing full well that Snivy would be at a terrible disadvantage against a flying-type. Gligar flew out from its hiding place on the ceiling, gliding overhead above the two Zubat.

"Aero, use Gust!' The girl sent out her Pidove, who whipped up a gust of wind that sent Darryl's Zubat flying.

"Shit! Zubat, Supersonic!" Darryl's Zubat made sound waves that caused the girl's Pidove to suddenly begin flying in circles before it crashed into the floor. "Leech life!" The Zubat headed towards the confused Pidove with its mouth open wide, but Gligar swooped down and clamped onto its wings.

"Poison Sting!" Gligar jabbed the Zubat with its stinger, but it seemed to have no effect.

"Zubat, Leech Life!" Cheryl's Zubat latched on to Gligar's wing and tried to drain blood, but Gligar seemed to pay it no heed as it continued to fly in circles.

"Aero, consecutive quick attacks! Pick off the Zubat!"At the girl's command, the Pidove gained altitude, looped around and struck Cheryl's Zubat clean off Gligar's wing with an incredibly fast ramming attack. Gligar dropped the other Zubat from its pincers just in time for Aero the Pidove to strike the Zubat with such speed it was barely visible. Both Zubat landed on the ground spent, much to the chagrin of the two guards.

"Fine, let's play with our cool toys now." Darryl pulled out the device and pressed a few buttons, which caused an Elekid to run out from the hallway and to its side. Its eyes were glazed over and expressionless, almost as if it was sleepwalking. Cheryl summoned a Magby similarly.

"Like the Shadow Device? If you join our cause, we'll give you one!" Darryl smirked.

"Shut it, you idiot! You've said too much!"" Cheryl backhanded Darryl, causing him to yelp slightly.

Darius recalled his Gligar and sent out Snivy after scanning the Pokémon in his TMA, with the TMA noting that their abilities cause status conditions upon contact and that they were wild Pokémon.

_Wild, eh, _Darius smiled slightly. Perhaps he could catch them to boost his roster. Meanwhile, the girl replaced her Pidove with an Oshawott whom she called Shelly_._

_I get the feeling this is the third trainer from Professor Fern's lab I haven't met yet. This isn't the time for curiosity, though; both of their Pokémon seem to be pretty strong. Dammit, Darius, stop checking out her tits! Get it together!_

"Elekid, Quick Attack!" Darryl made the first move, and Elekid wordlessly ran full-tilt at "Shelly".

"Vine Whip, intercept it!" Darius' Snivy lashed the Elekid with its vines, but it continued charging despite the welts that were already forming from the harsh strikes.

"Shelly, Water Gun!" The Oshawott began to shoot water forcefully, but this only caused Elekid to stumble. However, this was the opportunity Darius was looking for.

"Tackle!" Snivy sprang up to attack, only to be hit by a sudden cloud of poison gas.

"Magby, now use Ember!" The Magby spat small fireballs at Snivy, causing it to reel back in pain as its skin began to blister. "Finish it with another Smog attack!"

"Shelly, Water Gun!" Magby's attack was interrupted by a blast of water that caused it to cringe in pain as the water sizzled on its fiery body. "Now, Tackle!"

"Elekid, zap it!" the Elekid struck Shelly with a jolt of electricity that made it scream with pain and fall over next to Snivy. "Well, looks like we won! Hand 'em over, brats!" Darryl cackled with glee, not noticing the radiant green and blue glows emanating from Snivy and Shelly, respectively.

Both Darius and the girl realized that their Pokémon's abilities had activated as their Pokémon charged in for their final attack. Shelly's scalchop began to glow as a strong wind whipped up in the room around Snivy. "Let 'er rip, Snivy!"

Leaves began swirling around Snivy as it released a whirlwind, knocking Darryl's Elekid back as the leaves whipping around began to lacerate its yellow and black coat with bleeding cuts, while Shelly slashed Magby with its glowing shell, knocking it out on the spot. Unfortunately for Shelly, Magby's Flame Body activated, and the burn damage caused it to go down to its knees, wailing in agony. Elekid began to get back up and it was preparing to release another Thundershock attack, its glassy, expressionless eyes contorting into a hateful glare. Snivy, however, saw its arms begin to windmill and tackled it onto the ground, casing its attack to hit the remotes instead.

"Oh crap! We got our asses whooped! Let's get out of here!" Cheryl wailed, before fleeing with Darryl close behind her out the factory door. The Pokémon they abandoned lay defeated on the factory floor, with Snivy and Shelly barely able to stand panting after winning the most difficult battle they'd faced.

"Perfect." Darius pulled a Pokeball from his bag, and lobbed it at the fallen Elekid, sucking it inside with a red glow. The Pokéball barely seemed to shake, due to the Elekid's exhaustion, and the ball quickly clicked to indicate a successful capture. "Take that Magby. It was pretty powerful, it would help your team for sure."

"Thank you SO, SO, SO MUCH for helping me out. Without you, for all I know I would have had my Pokémon taken away and been kidnapped by those creeps." The girl planted a kiss on Darius' cheek, causing his face to go a deep burning crimson as his mind blanked completely. "By the way, my name's Marcia. I hope to see you again sometime!" The girl hugged him again before catching the Magby and running out of the factory, leaving his head spinning.

_Holy crap, a hot girl just kissed me... _Darius had a dopey smile on his face before quickly realizing something. _Shit. I didn't even get her number. I'm a damned idiot. Keep cool, Darius... _

The whole way back to the Pokémon centre, Darius was in a haze. The normally level-headed teen realized that his hormones had finally gotten the best of him, because he was so hung up on missing an opportunity to get her phone number that he couldn't even get excited about catching the fairly rare Pokémon, Elekid. He barely even realized that he had been at the power station all day, because the sun was beginning to set

Alex was nowhere to be seen when he entered the Pokémon Centre again, but the sounds of his Tepig squealing in the back indicated he was probably elsewhere. He gave his Pokémon to the nurse for healing and headed back up to his room for another deep sleep. _Work hard, play hard, sleep hard_, he thought to himself as he turned off the light and crawled into the cot. _Being a Trainer is certainly exciting, but I don't know how many events like that I can handle._

With that, he began to drift off, ending one of the most adrenaline-fuelled days he had ever experienced, second only to accidentally enraging a group of Mankey in the woods behind his house. Of course, compared to the days that are to come, Darius will come to realize that this day is mundane by comparison...


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Taming of the Chu

Alex had walked through the forest for hours, his Tepig constantly at its heel, but he had yet to find a Pokémon he deemed worthy to catch_. A common Patrat won't cut it if I wish to make the best team possible_, he thought to himself as he continued through the steadily thickening forest. The branches began to brush him as he passed, and water began to drip down from the leaves, irritating Tepig at his side as it snorted with displeasure. All of a sudden, a large CRACK filled the air, followed by a WHUMP as a body fell to the forest floor a little bit ahead. As Alex ran towards what was happening, he noticed a charred berry bush, freshly burnt by an unknown assailant. Whatever this enemy was, it was obviously close by, judging by the fainted Pidove on the ground, its feathers sticking every which way, many of them charred black from a recent attack.

_**SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

Before Alex knew what was happening, his body began to convulse with agony as his body filled with fire, blackness clouding his vision as he lost control of his arms and legs. His heart began to beat irregularly in his chest as his legs kicked out randomly. A small lightning bolt rang out again and the air seemed to sizzle as Tepig was sent flying by the sudden attack. Despite the pain and imbalance, Alex managed to get back onto his hands and knees, the world spinning around him as Tepig got up beside him. A yellow blur ran out and brutally rammed Tepig to the ground as soon as it recovered from the unexpected shock, sending it into a nearby tree with incredible force. The assailant stopped its attacks and made eye contact with Alex, whose vision had cleared up long enough to identify the Pokémon responsible.

_A Pikachu? But... but how? How could a Pikachu be so strong? So angry?_

Tepig got back to its feet, flames puffing out of its nostrils as it prepared to strike back.

"Ember!" Alex issued forth his first attack, as Tepig sprayed a flurry of small flames at the electric rodent. It reeled back in pain, its skin now red and raw from the attack and any mercy it may have shown flickered out of existence. This Pikachu was not going to flee. This Pikachu would stand its ground until Death itself knocked it down with its scythe.

_This one's way tougher than I thought..._

"Tepig, Flame Charge!" As the command came out, Tepig began to run at Pikachu, but the flames around Tepig sputtered out long enough for Pikachu to slam it in its vulnerable snout with its tail. Tepig screamed as it was sent skidding back, its paws raw from the skid and blood streaming out its nose. This Pikachu had gained the upper hand. Before he could call out another attack, Pikachu let loose a scorching Thundershock, causing Tepig to sit down, barely able to remain conscious from all the damage. Pikachu's cheeks were still crackling, indicating that it was barely getting started. Its burns turned even more red and angry, further fueling its rage. This Pikachu was simply too fast for Tepig to combat, and its power easily matched it.

_I've gotta get another Flame Charge in to speed Tepig up._

"Flame Charge!" Tepig rushed again at its opponent, flames enveloping it as it ran faster the closer it got to Pikachu. Pikachu, not able to dodge in time, was thrown back with a loud squeal of protest as Tepig jumped into its midsection and rammed it with its flaming body.

"One final Tackle!" Tepig began to rush in, but Pikachu got up just in time to give Tepig a powerful jolt from almost point-blank range. Tepig began to glow orange as ethereal flames began to surround its battered body, its blaze reaction coming into full-force as it met an opponent worthy of its steel. It dodged a Quick attack with fluid grace before hitting Pikachu back with small exploding fire projectiles.

_This Ember attack is outrageously strong._

Unbeknownst to the fighting parties, a tree had caught alight behind them. The flames slowly licked up the tree as the battle continued, slowly but surely starting the inevitable forest fire. Meanwhile, Pikachu finally managed to land a Thunder Wave attack, stopping Tepig from attacking further, although it was obviously close to its limit. Its electrical attacks had begun to go haywire, and its speed was reduced significantly, but he knew Tepig was in equally dire straits as its muscles began to give out from paralysis. _Just one more attack would decide this battle, _he thought as he saw Tepig and Pikachu get back to their feet despite the agony they both showed. The air began to shimmer with heat as Tepig began to glow, and smoke began to surround the makeshift battlefield that had been created by the destructive attacks of Pikachu and Tepig.

_Tepig... What's happening...?_

Tepig's body began to grow in mass, its legs began to expand as the muscle beneath swelled, and it got up on its hind legs as its ears and tail grew outwards from its increasingly rotund form. Standing to heed Alex's command was a much stronger Pokémon than before. Alex's Tepig had evolved into Pignite for the strength it needed to continue battling the adversary that had attacked its Trainer, and it let loose a battle cry as it stood over the weakened Pikachu. It began to let loose a series of quick punches into Pikachu's head, knocking it out where it stood, and allowing Alex to throw a Pokéball. The ball soared through the increasingly smoky air with a metallic whoosh, followed by a _**PING**_ as it captured the Pikachu without the ball moving once.

When he had picked up the Pokéball, however, he began to notice the smoke in the air had become more acrid and it had become harder to breathe. The trees around him all erupted into flame as the pain from the earlier attacks and the lack of oxygen caused his vision to go black at the edges while he began to cough out the smoke in a futile effort to remain alive for longer. He tried to crawl back to his feet despite the horrific surges of pain in his limbs, but was hoisted up by his Pignite before he could do anything further. He finally allowed his vision to go black as violent coughs wracked his body on the back of his Pignite...


	7. Greatest Trainer in Sinnoh, Part 2

The Greatest Trainer In Sinnoh, Part 2

The sand obscuring the battlefield had cleared, revealing Darius' Heracross face-down on the ground with the blue chitin on its right arm cracked from the intense blow. Garchomp stood over Heracross triumphantly, but showing clear signs of weariness as well as blood began to trickle out of its bruised snout.

"Heracross is unable to battle!" The referee shouted.

"Well, folks, it seems we have our first knockout! The challenger's Heracross is unable to battle, but Garchomp certainly didn't leave that battle unscathed! What a show these two are putting on!" The announcer excitedly rambled, mirroring the crowd's growing excitement.

"Darius is doing pretty well. Cynthia is certainly getting a run for her money!"

"Now that Heracross is out, what can he do? Heracross was basically his best answer to Garchomp."

"I wouldn't be sure, we've only seen 3 of his Pokémon."

"Yeah, but Arcanine isn't very useful against a Ground-Dragon type like Garchomp."

Darius looked pensive for a moment, as if he was planning a new strategy, before selecting his second Pokémon.

"Walrein! You're up!" Darius sent out his Walrein, whose polished tusks shone in the artificial stadium light as it roared in preparation for battle.

"Ice Beam!" Walrein shot a light-blue beam of cold energy at Garchomp, who swiftly evaded the attack and launched into the air.

"Dragon Rush, Garchomp!" Cynthia called out to Garchomp, who prepared to launch itself like a living torpedo at Walrein with frightening speed. All Walrein could do was brace itself as the attack sent the enormous creature backwards like it weighed no more than a Hoppip.

"Ice Beam, again!" Walrein tried to concentrate, but the Dragon Rush had made it cringe in fear as Garchomp quickly closed the distance between them.

"Brick Break!" Garchomp raised its fin in preparation for a finishing attack, knowing just as well as Cynthia that this was the knockout blow. As it swung down, however, Darius had the sense to recall Walrein before it hit, leaving Garchomp swinging at nothing but air.

Cynthia smirked confidently, seeing how she had regained momentum after nearly losing her star Pokémon in the first round of the match. Darius began to get nervous, seeing as how his plan to take Garchomp out early with an Ice attack had gone awry.

"Darius recalls Walrein early from a potential knockout blow, seeing Garchomp overcome an obvious type disadvantage with speed and power alone! What other Pokémon does he have that can fight Garchomp at all?" The announcer continues.

"Serperior! Leaf Blade!" Darius commands Serperior to attack immediately, fully aware that there's no time to waste if he wishes to turn the battle back in his favour.

"Dig!" Garchomp quickly launches itself underground in order to evade the attack. Serperior sensed Gachomp's impending resurfacing, allowing it to spring up into the air and use Leaf Blade before Garchomp had even landed on the ground. As Garchomp staggered back from the unexpected attack, Serperior coiled around it until it could no longer move.

"Dragon Tail, Serperior!" Darius commanded decisively, knowing this attack would give him a tactical advantage regardless of whether it was a knockout blow.

Serperior suddenly uncoiled and lashed Garchomp with its glowing tail, sending it flying into the wall. The crowd fell completely silent as Garchomp fell to the ground, heavily bruised and beaten, before finally fainting from its injuries.

"Garchomp is unable to battle! The round goes to Serperior!" The referee called.

The crowd's excitement reached fever pitch as Garchomp was recalled in battle, tears pouring down its face in shame and Cynthia's normally neutral and calm expression having given way to shock. She had not seen her Garchomp fall in battle for years, and to have seen it fall after the challenger had only lost one Pokémon was absolutely astonishing.

"You have defeated my Garchomp? Remarkable. Unfortunately for you, this just makes me more motivated to crush you with all my strength. Milotic, surpass your limits! Hydro Pump!" Cynthia called her Milotic into battle, and Darius quickly realized that the challenge had only just begun.

Milotic let loose a powerful torrent of water as it came out of the ball, catching Serperior off-guard as it was blasted by the immense power of the attack. It got up without much difficulty, considering that now its pride was on the line. It could not lose to another serpent, especially not one with a type disadvantage to itself.

"Serperior, Leaf Blade!" Serperior landed a direct hit on Milotic, who made no attempt to move in a moment where it underestimated its opponent's strength before crying out in pain as it realized its mistake.

"Milotic! This Pokémon took down Garchomp! Recover off the damage and try to evade its attacks!"

Milotic's body glowed green as its injuries spontaneously healed and it looked at Serperior with renewed vigor, knowing full well the challenge it was now presented with.

"Milotic, Blizzard, let's go!"

"Serperior, counter it with Leaf Storm!"

The two attacks collided as the opposing winds tried to overpower one another, but the snow and leaves fell to the ground harmlessly as the powerful gusts of wind cancelled each other out.

"Bulldoze, Milotic!" Milotic slammed its tail into the ground, casing a minor shockwave as Serperior was slightly dazed by the ineffective move.

"That's it? Serperior, Slam!" Serperior prepared to attack but Milotic easily dodged Serperior's unusually slow attack.

"Gah, I forgot Bulldoze lowers a Pokémon's speed! Clever, Cynthia, but my Serperior isn't just reliant on speed." Darius smirked.

"We'll see about that. Milotic, Blizzard!" Milotic engulfed Serperior with a snowy gust, flash-freezing it with a look of terror that would be almost comical if not for the intensity of the battle.

"Milotic, excellent! Now finish it! Hydro Pump, now!" Cynthia excitedly commanded Milotic to finish off its combatant when the ice began to glow green. Her Milotic's Hydro Pump was completely destroyed by a Leaf Blade that then critically struck Milotic as Overgrow kicked in, giving Serperior a second wind and levelling the playing field once more.

"Milotic, Recover!" Milotic began to recover from the hit when Serperior struck it with Slam, interrupting the healing.

"Leaf Storm!"

"Blizzard!"

The two attacks collided, creating a vicious vortex of leaves and ice that picked up Serperior and Milotic like a Kansas farmhouse in a tornado, throwing them around like ragdolls until the wind finally dissipated. Milotic was unconscious upon impact, but Serperior remained standing.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

Lucario was sent out with its paws flaring with blue aura energy and its eyes closed peacefully, while its black metallic aural sensors began to float to the sides of its head as it stood majestically, ready for combat with the opponent that had defeated both Garchomp and Milotic.

"Serperior, Leaf Blade!" Serperior launched itself with incredible speed as it viciously swing its bladed tail at the motionless Lucario. Lucario parried the attack with its forearm spikes with incredible dexterity as it then punched Serperior in the face, stunning it. It then blasted the hapless Serperior point-blank with an Aura Sphere attack, knocking it out instantly and ending its rampage.

"Arcanine, let's go!" Arcanine was sent out to battle, its regal stance and majestic bark drawing adoration from the crowd as its coat caught a breeze and formed a flowing cape. Both Arcanine and Lucario looked each other in the eyes, signalling their readiness to battle one another as a throaty growl rumbled from between Arcanine's clenched teeth.

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Arcanine let a stream of crimson flames out of its maw, starting the battle with a tremendous display of fiery power as the air shimmered with heat...


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Aftermath

_Uggghhhh..._

_Can I... open my eyes..._

_No..._

_Fading..._

"How is he?"

"He's stable but he did have some minor smoke inhalation. His Pignite saved him from the brunt of the flames and burns, however, using the heat as energy to run."

_Nnnnngh..._

"I think he's waking up. He took quite the beating. What a trooper."

"I hope he's alright."

_Aggghh... I'm in so much pain... what happened..._

"Open your eyes... Come on!"

Alex awoke to an oxygen mask pumping in air and machines beeping. His arms were sticky and in pain, his right leg was bruised and throbbing, but he somehow managed to open his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he managed to figure out his surroundings. He was lying in a hospital bed, with a doctor examining him with his white lab coat and stethoscope, his intern making notes on a clipboard. Darius was seated on a chair to his left, his eyes lighting up as he noticed Alex's return to consciousness. The doctor gently removed the oxygen mask upon Alex's return to consciousness, allowing him to speak.

"How long was I out for?" Alex asked.

"A solid 17 hours, I'd say. There's nothing seriously wrong with you thanks to your heroic Pignite, and both Pignite and Pikachu are in the Pokémon centre resting. I'm assuming your battle caused the forest fire?" The doctor inquired.

"Forest fire?" Alex gasped, astonished.

"Yep, you cleared a pretty big section of the woods, but the firefighters got there before any major harm came to the area. Took a Rain Dance or two, but it was out pretty quick." The doctor said with an amused look, like he had witnessed a child cause some minor mischief.

"Am I free to go?" Alex asked.

"As long as Darius accompanies you for the next little while, I don't see the problem." The doctor nodded. "Don't do anything too strenuous, now."

"Thanks, doctor! I'll be good. Hehe." Alex sheepishly grinned as he walked out of the room.

As Alex went back to pick up his Pokémon, he couldn't help but notice the low-cut top the nurse's young assistant was wearing. She was a Latina girl with big hoop earrings and she looked to be around 20, and she was well-endowed in the chest area like many Latina girls are. What Alex didn't notice, however, was how quickly the assistant pivoted on her heel as she delivered a jaw-shattering SMACK to the boy's face, sending him reeling back.

"Pervert." She snarled at Alex as she tossed the Pokéballs to the dazed young trainer. Darius was doubled over in hysterics at the scene, and the nearby clerks at the Pokémart were also chuckling to themselves, enjoying the break in their normally mundane routine. Alex slunk out of the Pokémon centre, cheeks thoroughly red from humiliation as well as the slap itself. Darius was wiping away tears as he followed out of the centre after him, face red as a Pokéball from his fit of laughter.

"Smooth, bud." Darius grinned, the normally neutral, calm expression replaced by a grin that could have only come from mirth and schadenfreude at his friend's humiliation.

"Did you SEE those things?" Alex said in protest.

"I saw them in a more discreet manner, not BUUUUUH BOOBIES BUH like you, ya goof." Darius smacked Alex playfully.

"To be fair, they were amazing." Darius nodded in agreement to Alex's statement.

"Bosoms are indeed rad. Anyway, let's head to the gym, I wanna see your Pikachu in action." Darius was still grinning as he sauntered casually towards the gym, Alex rushing past him, eager to redeem himself after the humiliation at the hands of the nurse's assistant.

"Hey guys, good to see ya." Robert walked up to the pair casually as they entered the basement portion of the building that was used as the gym, his hands in his jean pockets, with a small smirk on his face that betrayed no real emotion. "Anything interesting happen recently?"

"Well, Alex here got slapped by the nurse's assistant for staring at her ta-tas." Darius grinned evilly while Alex turned bright red with rage.

"Latina with huge knockers?" Robert commented.

"Yeah." Darius was still smirking until he noticed Robert's face turn from casual and calm to a face that could be only interpreted as pure rage.

"WHAT TH-" Alex was suddenly hoisted by his shoulders and slammed into the wall of the gym.

"If I ever hear about you even looking at my girlfriend's chest ever again, I will make sure your body is NEVER found." Robert snarled, before his face suddenly changed back to his normal expression. "Just kidding, I'm glad you can appreciate how lucky I am. Hehehe." Robert gently put the stunned Alex onto the floor and turned to Darius. "What kind of battle do you want?"

"3-on-3. I just caught another Pokémon yesterday." Darius said calmly as he called out his Snivy to battle.

"Very well. Whismur, you're up." Robert sent out his Whismur to battle Snivy, but this Whismur looked more menacing than the average Whismur. While most Whismur are timid, this Whismur looked just about ready to give Snivy the beating of its life. Its battle shriek was well-nigh deafening, and left Alex slumped over in a daze, but Darius didn't look like he was faring much better. Robert seemed to be completely unfazed by the attack, however.

"Snivy, stop the attack with Leaf Tornado!" Snivy's grimace of pain turned to a look of concentration as leaves began to spin around him. Whismur's wailing finally stopped just long enough for it to be tossed into the air by the whirlwind of cutting leaves.

"Whismur, Pound." Whismur lunged at Snivy, who easily dodged the attack.

"Tackle." Snivy rammed Whismur, but it easily recovered from the attack.

"Shadow Ball, Whismur, now!" Whismur started gathering dark energy around its mouth, emitting a low hum as it concentrated.

"Snivy, Growth!" Snivy began to glow as its eyes closed in concentration. Its muscles began to swell as the dark blob landed a direct hit, obscuring the grass Pokémon in a cloud of purplish smoke from the resulting explosion. The smoke cleared, however, to reveal a much bigger Snivy with swollen muscles and longer, bladed leaves, the shadow ball having only caused it to become angrier. "Vine Whip!"

The vines shot out instantaneously, and one brutal lash sent Whismur into the wall, unable to continue, the spots where the vines hit having turned purplish and bloody by the sheer power of the attack.

"Patrat, let's go! Hypnosis!" Patrat came out of the ball, standing rigidly on full alert as its pink eyes lulled Snivy to sleep.

"Snivy, return!" Darius recalled his sleeping Snivy. "Gligar, you're up!"

Gligar glided out of the Pokéball, pincers at the ready and tongue lolling, as it awaited its trainer's command. It was standing on its tail in an almost precarious way, but stayed perfectly still as it surveyed its target.

"Tackle, now!" Patrat ran headlong towards the immobile Gligar, but the attack made literally no effect on the Gligar when it hit.

"Harden." Gligar stiffened, increasing its physical defense.

"Crunch, Patrat!" Patrat bit down hard on Gligar's tail, but it still seemed to cause Gligar little concern. Darius' defensive play was beginning to frustrate Robert as he gritted his teeth.

"Fury Cutter." Gligar began furiously slashing at the Patrat, each hit doing more damage than the last.

"Patrat, retreat!" Patrat let go and ran, but Gligar simply flew after it and began strafing it from the air.

"Confuse Ray!" Patrat tried to confuse Gligar, but Gligar simply swatted it away with his tail, knocking it out.

"Hmmm... well-played, my friend. That was an excellent display of defensive power. Unfortunately, this ends here." Robert's final Pokémon materialized: a Teddiursa.

"Fury Swipes." Teddiursa ran over to Gligar and landed a series of slashes on Gligar's torso. Unlike Patrat's earlier attacks, it doubled over in pain from the attack's power. "Finish it with a Faint Attack." Teddiursa sucker-punched Gligar, causing it to slump over, unable to continue.

Darius' eyes went wide at the sudden reversal of fortune, but sent out his sleeping Snivy, hoping it would be able to wake up. Snivy had returned to normal size, however, and the added power from Growth has since left its body.

"Close Combat, Teddiursa, finish it." Teddiursa rushed at Snivy, claws raised, and threw its first punch.

Unfortunately for Teddiursa, this was enough to wake up Snivy and send it into a frenzy of Vine Whip attacks. Due to Close Combat's reckless nature where it leaves the attacker unguarded, Teddiursa sustained heavy damage and was subsequently rammed by a tackle from Snivy. However, it still managed to climb to its feet and scratch back, clawing Snivy across the face and causing it to bleed. Snivy began to fall when its body glowed green.

"_Overgrow again. Now this will work better."_ Darius thought.

"Leaf Tornado!" Snivy began to spin on its back, almost as if it was breakdancing, while an enormous whirlwind of leaves obscured the whole battlefield. Teddiursa was thrown into the air and held there as the leaves began to make it bleed underneath its fur.

"Faint Attack, Teddiursa!" As the leaves died down, Teddiursa was nowhere to be seen, until it suddenly dropped from behind Snivy and kicked it in the back of the head, knocking it out cold on the floor. It was clear that Snivy would no longer be able to battle, which left Darius with only his least experienced Pokemon.

"You're up! Elekid, let's do this!" Elekid came out of the Pokeball, its horns crackling with electrical energy as it stared down its opponent. Despite its cute looks, Teddiursa's power was frightening to behold, as it took out Gligar and Snivy easily with Faint Attack, and Elekid's initial confidence dissipated when it sensed its Trainer's wariness. Clearly, its cute looks were a deception that belied its true power.

"Elekid, Thundershock!" Elekid's arms began to windmill as it charged up for a Thundershock.

"Teddiursa, dodge!" Teddiursa easily sidestepped the electrical bolt, before kicking Elekid in the side with a surprise Faint Attack, causing it to cough up blood as it felt a rib crack from the unexpected assault. Regardless, Elekid got up, fists raised, still looking like it could go all day. "Now, Close Combat." Teddiursa rushed in, ready to finish Elekid off, but Darius noticed it had left itself unguarded again.

"Low Kick." Elekid caught Teddiursa's heel, crashing it to the ground, before releasing a brutal Thundershock at close range. Teddiursa was paralyzed by the hit as electricity crackled around it and it strained to get up. "Perfect."

"Fury Swipes, Teddiursa." Teddiursa rushed with blinding speed at Elekid, scoring numerous hits with its sharp claws. Elekid screeched with pain at the abnormally fast onslaught when Teddiursa suddenly froze in place and stopped attacking."

"Now's your chance. Low Kick, once more." Elekid did another sweep, but Teddiursa nimbly dodged the kick despite being paralyzed. "H...How... How is it even faster..."

"Quick feet allows Teddiursa to become superbly fast when it's afflicted with a status condition, even paralysis." Robert smirked. "Now even your Elekid cannot match it in speed, and your advantage is gone. Close Combat, Teddiursa, finish it."

Teddiursa ran over to Elekid with agility comparable to that of an Infernape as it prepared a brutal onslaught of punches, kicks and slashes.

"Low Kick, Elekid." Teddiursa backflipped away from the attack easily, but remained unguarded during the dodge. "Now, Quick Attack."

Robert cried out for his Teddiursa, but it was too late. Elekid's increased speed allowed it to overcome the defenceless Teddiursa, slamming it with incredible speed into the wall, where it slumped onto the ground in defeat. Teddiursa was completely out cold. Robert's face was one of utter shock from his defeat, his first in 4 months, but he pulled out the Simple Badge as recognition of Darius' victory, the first of many in his Pokemon league challenge. Will Alex be able to pull off a victory of his own?


	9. Greatest Trainer in Sinnoh, Part 3

The Greatest Trainer in Sinnoh, part 3

Lucario dodged the stream of flames with grace before landing, poised for battle. This was not the first Flamethrower that Lucario had dodged, and it was unfazed by the display of power. However, Lucario did not repeat the mistake of overconfidence that Garchomp and Milotic did. He had watched them fall from the confines of his Pokéball, felled by a mixture of unexpected power and easy mistakes that Lucario did not make. Cynthia's Lucario was one of the most powerful in the world, constantly honing its power, but even it knew when there was a worthy opponent.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Lucario prepared its signature attack, only to have it neutralized by a second stream of flames. Cynthia tensed once more, before commanding yet another attack. "Close Combat!"

Lucario's mixture of fluid grace and brutal strikes was a sight to behold, but its attacks were in vain as Arcanine's elegant footwork sidestepped and dodged every attack.

"Extremespeed, Arcanine!" Arcanine rammed Lucario with blinding speed, taking advantage of the reckless and tiring nature of a Close Combat attack.

"Two can play at that game. Extremespeed, Lucario!"

"You too, Arcanine!"

The combatants sprinted with fluid rushes of speed, colliding evenly and flying backwards into the walls of the Dome. Lucario sprang to its feet nimbly, while Arcanine began to tremble as it regained its footing on the rocky ground.

"Lucario, Dragon Pulse! Let's finish him off!" Cynthia called out. A green orb crackling with energy grew in size, becoming a full-blown shockwave as it was launched.

"Arcanine, likewise!" Arcanine fired its own shockwave, as the two pulses rocketed towards each other. Neither attack gave an inch, as the resulting collision caused the pulses to rocket skywards, blowing a hole in the roof of the dome. The debris rained down on Lucario and Arcanine both, as the two trainers shielded their faces from the plastic hail that rained on them. The crowd began to cheer as the dust cleared, revealing the two combatants struggling to their feet after the perfect collision of draconic energy. "Now, let's show them an onslaught! Flamethrower after Flamethrower, let's GO!"

The regal beast began streaming fire out of its maw, causing the air to shimmer as the rocks began to redden from the intense heat. Lucario continued to dodge adeptly, firing off Aura Spheres to repel the gauntlet of flames that threatened to consume the rocky terrain. An Aura Sphere eventually broke through, knocking Arcanine into Darius and sending them both flying into the wall. Darius moaned with pain as his Arcanine rose up from the impact, leaving the boy gasping for air. Lucario leapt over Arcanine, helping the boy to his feet in a noble gesture. Darius stood with his hands on his knees, panting, from both exhaustion and the damage he sustained. Arcanine began to pant with ragged breaths as he tired from the repeated attacks, bleeding from a gash in its left side but ignoring the pain for the sake of its Trainer. An Arcanine will defend its Trainer with its life, and will not stop attacking until it is completely drained of all strength.

"Arcanine, let's fire off a Flamethrower, make it count!" Arcanine let loose a stream of flames that dwarfed his other attacks as it hit Lucario, the smell of smoldering steel filling the air as the force of the flames lifted Lucario off its feet, screaming with pain all the while. A super-effective direct hit is a hard one to recover from, as Lucario realized when he fell to one knee in pain. He had been careless. Not again.

"Lucario, Close Combat!"

"Arcanine, Heat Wave!"

Arcanine's hot breath became a wind that burned Lucario as he ran ever closer to Arcanine, jumping up to avoid further damage to its seared body. Lucario gave the attack all it had; pummelling the fiery beast with no letup as it howled with pain and its wounds began to discolour underneath its bloodstained fur. Just as Lucario readied his final tail-strike, jumping up into the air, the burn kicked in, and he fell to the ground once more. He convulsed with pain as the flames from his burn engulfed him and his eyes rolled back into its head. Lucario lay still, his fallen, burnt form finally having given way as Arcanine howled a shrill howl. A howl of victory. A howl daring any challenger to step to him. A howl that chilled Cynthia to the bone...


	10. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Fighting Chance

Robert's face had gone red and sweaty from his match with Darius, but he still had a look of steely determination as Alex squared off to him on the other side of the bloodied, scratched-up battlefield, fresh from the previous bout. This time, Alex only had 2 Pokémon, so Robert let out his Nidorino to spectate while he readied his first Pokéball. A Nidorina wandered into the room and cuddled up to the Nidorino, followed by a very familiar young lady. She didn't seem to notice Alex as she locked lips with the Gym Leader, which quickly devolved into a full-on standing makeout session as Robert began to grope her butt like a starved animal. Clearly, Robert wasn't lying about his girlfriend, but Alex quickly grew impatient as the spectacle continued.

"We get it, get a room already, if you're not gonna battle!" Alex protested. The girl's derisive sneer turned into a death glare as she realized who was speaking, so she gave a two-fingered salute as she sat down on the bench in a huff.

"Kick his ass, baby!" She yelled angrily, encouraging her boyfriend as he sent out his Zigzagoon to battle. Alex sent out his Pikachu to begin the match, eager to prove that it was just as capable as Darius' Elekid.

"Thundershock, start out strong!" Alex commanded his new Pikachu in its first battle. Regardless, it obeyed, but Zigzagoon's erratic running allowed it to dodge the attack and score a Headbutt of its own. "Quick Attack!" Pikachu quickly rammed Zigzagoon, but the attack barely phased it as it got back up without much obvious effort.

"Your turn, Zigzagoon. Pin Missile!" Zigzagoon shot a flurry of needles at the unsuspecting Pikachu, sending it flying back as its body became streaked with blood. When Pikachu got up, Zigzagoon was nowhere to be found. "Now."

The ground burst from below Pikachu as it got knocked out by the super-effective ground-type attack before it even hit the ground, leaving Alex at a serious disadvantage with only his trusty Pignite to fend off both of Robert's Pokémon. Zigzagoon had taken almost no damage, as it shook itself off to remove the dirt from its coat. Clearly, Robert was very ready for Alex's tactics, having battled him once before.

"Is that all? I remember your Tepig putting up a better fight than just that." Robert chastised Alex.

"Pignite, start out strong with Tackle!" Pignite came out of its Pokéball and immediately took off running at the Zigzagoon.

"Headbutt." Zigzagoon stopped Pignite in its tracks with its blindingly fast zigzagging movements before catching Pignite from behind, sending it sprawling to the ground. However, one of the benefits of evolution was superior resilience to attacks, shown by Pignite's ease of recovery from the attack.

"Ember, now."

"Counter with Pin Missile!" Unlike Alex's earlier battle with Robert's Zigzagoon, Pin Missile did nothing to deflect the Ember attack and Zigzagoon took significant damage, before Pignite slammed its glowing fists into Zigzagoon, knocking it out. Clearly, its evolution had granted it significant power, but Alex's overconfidence in his Pignite's abilities was about to be put to the test. Robert sent out a Herdier, his most infamous Pokémon, known for its exceptional physical strength and relative resilience to physical punishment. Alex knew that this was going to be much more than a common Lillipup, but his confidence in Pignite never wavered.

"Ember, Pignite!" The searing flames shot out of Pignite's snout with incredible speed, but Herdier sidestepped the attack easily as it prepared for a counterattack. Pignite was hurled back by the force of the brutal Take Down attack, before it struggled to its feet. Clearly, this battle was going to be determined quickly. "Arm Thrust!" Pignite took Herdier by surprise with a series of punches, but Herdier managed to grab onto Pignite's arm with its jaws to stop the attack.

"Crunch, Herdier!"

"Ember, Pignite!" The flames caused Herdier to reel back, its fur singed by the close-range attack, releasing Pignite in the process before it could bite down harder.

"Herdier, finish this. Take Down, let's go!"

"Pignite, Flame Charge!"

The two attacks collided perfectly, creating a small explosion as the two Pokémon were thrown to the ground by the force of the attacks. The two Pokémon struggled to stand as the referee anxiously awaited the knockout to decide the match. Pignite's body began to glow as Herdier struggled to stand back on its paws. The match would be decided by the next attack.

"Herdier, Hidden Power!"

"Pignite, Ember!" The two attacks collided once more, but only Pignite took advantage of the resulting smoke cloud. "Arm Thrust, finish it, now!"

"Counter it, Take Down!" Pignite rushed in with incredible speed, landing five solid punches that slowed Herdier's tackle, before the Pokémon both crumpled to the ground. The recoil from Take Down had taken its toll on Herdier, as the bleeding Pignite slowly rose to its feet triumphantly, its opponent unable to get back up.

"The victory goes to Alex and his Pignite!" The referee called despite his own shock. Robert had been defeated twice in one day after months of not having a decent match, and his Herdier was completely and utterly defeated. It was then that Robert truly saw the power of these trainers. They weren't just the Professor's newest batch, they were the most prodigious trainers he had ever faced in battle. If only he knew what great heights they were to reach...


	11. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Vines That Bind

It had been 2 weeks since Darius and Alex had challenged Robert and won, and the list of people that sought them out for battle in the small town continued to grow. Alex decided to stay in town to field all the challenges that came to him, while Darius decided to move on in his journey, hoping to get to Mt. Corundum before sunset hit again. Darius' shaggy brown hair was matted from dirt and grime accumulated from the battles with wilds and trainers on the routes and in the small villages he passed through. His Gligar had learned Faint Attack and his Elekid had learned Shock Wave due to this training, and he never lost a battle in the whole time. His calf muscles screamed for a rest as he climbed up the steep hills leading up to the mountain in the distance, but he trekked on regardless.

_The end makes the means worthwhile if my efforts pay off. _

As he approached an especially steep cliff, he noticed a burly man with mountain-climbing gear and unkempt blonde facial hair curling 30-pound weights alongside his Machop. His Nidorino began barking at Darius as he drew closer, prompting the mountain of a man to let loose a hearty chuckle as he walked over to the young Trainer.

"Hello, young man, what brings you out to these dangerous terrains? You look like you've been out here a while. Where did you come from?"

Darius wordlessly pulled out his Gym Badge, causing the man's eyes to glint with excitement.

"Oh ho, you finally broke little Bobby's winning streak? I guess that it technically proves that you're a cut above the rookies around here, but how do you feel about proving it to me?" The man's hearty laugh showed no malice but his condescending smirk egged Darius on.

"Best of 3, then." Darius coolly stated, betraying little of the excitement growing inside him.

"Your call, boy. Nidorino, yerr up!" The man grinned as his Nidorino ran in front of him in a battle-ready stance. "Bit scarier than the Nidoran around here, eh?"

"Gligar, come on out!" Darius' Gligar swooped through the air, catching a passing breeze before landing in a statuesque pose on the ground.

**Play here: Anime version of Johto Wild Pokémon Battle**

"Gligar? That's a rare find. Too bad its poison doesn't work against Nidorino." The man's grin faded as he plotted his first attack. "How about Focus Energy, Nidorino!"

Nidorino began to glow as it focussed its power, increasing its chance of scoring a critical hit. Gligar remained motionless and calm as it awaited orders. "Now, Double Kick!"

"Gligar, Harden!" Gligar easily deflected the first kick, only for the second kick to strike it hard and send it flying back.

"How do ya like the critical hits?" The man continued to laugh, but Darius knew better than to fall for his taunts. For Darius, the battle was won in his mind first, so to lose control there would be as good as a forfeit.

"Gligar, Harden again."

"Nidorino, how about Peck?" Nidorino charged forward violently with its horn ready to stab Gligar, but the attack seemed to do no damage upon contact.

"Faint Attack." Gligar suddenly uppercutted Nidorino in the jaw without warning before launching itself up and brutally striking downwards. The attack caused Gligar to get poisoned, however, as it inadvertently hit one of Nidorino's barbs. "Loop around and execute a Quick Attack before it can regain its footing." Gligar did as commanded, swooping in such a way that it hit Nidorino's underbelly, sending it flying into a rock. The trainer withdrew his Nidorino, despite it not being fainted.

"I concede defeat for that first round; I've seen what your Gligar is capable of. You raised it well. I suspect Machop wants some exercise, too." His Machop sauntered over after watching Nidorino fall, his normal bravado replaced by a determined expression as it got into a fighting stance.

**Play: Johto Trainer Battle theme from anime**

"Good job, Gligar, here's a Pecha berry. Elekid, you're up." Gligar was returned to the Pokéball upon finishing the berry, while Elekid and Machop stared each other down. "Start off with a Quick Attack, you have Machop beat in speed." Elekid became a yellow blur as it slammed into Machop, but Machop stood firm and pushed back, minimizing the damage with its strong leg muscles.

"Low Sweep!" The hiker barked at Machop.

"Block it with Low Kick!" The two Pokémon tried to trip the other with powerful sweeping kicks, but Machop's kick brought Elekid to one knee, vulnerable as it lost its footing.

"Finish this fight with a Karate Chop!" Machop brought its hand up for the finishing blow when it suddenly winced and froze. Electricity crackled along its torso and arm as it fell to its knees groaning.

Darius quietly smiled to himself. _Static. Quite the useful ability, it seems. _

"Shock Wave, Elekid, your chance is now." Elekid whirled its arms, generating energy for the attack that danced between its horns, before letting loose a fast-moving homing bolt of lightning that engulfed Machop with electrical power. Machop screamed in agony as the attack struck, searing it, before slowly rising to its feet, skin blackened by electrocution. The cry chilled Darius to the bone but he continued as the Machop got up to fight with its eyes glowing.

"Your Elekid's ability may be a bit of a hindrance now that you know my Machop has the Guts ability." The hiker grinned evilly as he lorded his advantage over the shaken trainer. "Revenge."

Machop's body began to glow with the power of pure rage as the power from Guts and the unique nature of its attack multiplied its power exponentially, slugging Elekid with a punch that resounded with the sound of cracked ribs as Elekid immediately passed out from the pain, the force of the punch slamming it into the ground it stood on, blood tricking out of its mouth. Machop fell to its knees from pain as the hiker returned it to its Pokéball.

"So, my boy, ready to see my strongest Pokémon?" The hiker laughed maniacally as his fingers worried the blue Pokéball with red stripes that Darius immediately recognized as a Great Ball. Due to their greatly inflated price compared to regular Pokéballs, they were generally reserved for tougher captures or rare Pokémon and you need 2 gym badges to buy them in most stores.

**Play here: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection- Team Aqua/Magma Battle**

"Winner takes all? I'll bring my starter out, then." Darius called out his Snivy to battle, but as the grass snake stood calmly awaiting its opponent, Darius began to sweat with nervousness. This Trainer's calibre was much greater than what Robert demonstrated, and he definitely wasn't holding back in the last fight. His Elekid wouldn't be able to battle for a few days, and that was after battling the weakest Pokémon in the Hiker's party...

"Here we go, Sky-Eater!" The hiker yelled with almost childlike glee as the Great Ball opened, the Pokémon coming out exploded out of the ball with a mighty roar as it materialized. It dwarfed the Hiker by many times as it uncoiled with a deep growl, each segment on its brown, rocky body as big as Darius' Snivy. The gargantuan Onix certainly lived up to the Hiker's nickname for it, and it stared Darius directly in the eyes as it swayed back and forth, awaiting the start of the battle.

"Snivy, Vine Whip!" the green vines snaked out, lashing wildly at the beast, who simply roared in response. Despite its quadruple weakness, it stood form against the attack, blocking with its tail to guard. "Keep on going!" The vines continued to barely hurt the snake.

"Onix, use bind." The rock snake suddenly whipped its tail around the grass snake, squeezing it as it screamed, giving every bit of its gargantuan power while keeping out of reach of the flailing vines. "Now, Rock Tomb!" The rocks around Onix grew, squeezing Snivy further as it struggled for air. Snivy's vines grew limp as it hissed weakly, glaring at its rock-type tormentor.

"Snivy, Leech Seed." A seed shot at Onix's head, latching onto one of the rocks near the base of its skull. Vines sprouted out, restricting the writhing rock serpent as it began to glow green. Snivy's struggling grew stronger again as it was regaining health faster than Onix could damage it. Its vines lashed at its chest, causing the beast to roar as its vitality began to drain from it. Onix finally released its grip as Snivy tackled it. However, the tackle did nothing to the ground-type as it moved its midsection out of the way of the attack, before a mighty swing from its tail knocked the hapless starter to the ground, leaving a dust cloud where it landed. "Leaf Tornado!"

A gust of wind ripped through the dust cloud, causing the swirling leaves to scratch Onix as black oil began to ooze from the lacerations, the beast screeching in protest.

"Slam, Onix." A rocky tail swooped down at the grass snake with incredible force, bearing the brunt of the opponent's weight. Snivy's dodge was too slow as it was knocked into a tree, dazed, before two more tail strikes lay the smackdown on the smaller Pokémon. Snivy lay on its stomach groaning with its eyes half-open, struggling to hold consciousness

"Snivy!" Darius called out to the battered starter.

"You can forfeit at any time!" The hiker called out with a fierce devilish grin.

"Snivy, get up!" Snivy lifted its head wincing with pain at its Trainer's call, struggling with its leafy arms as it attempted to lift its own weight.

"You had your chance. Finish it with Slam, Onix." The rock snake raised its long tail for one final downward strike, putting in all its weight to make sure the stubborn grass-type would finally be put in its place. The ground shook as it jumped up into the air, using the force of gravity to exponentially increase the damage of the attack. Snivy exploded with a green aura as impact became imminent, suddenly causing the larger Pokémon to be launched back into the air.

_Overgrow... Snivy's truly reached its limit... Vine Whip barely repelled Onix's attack... One more hit and it's down for sure..._

"Snivy, Vine Whip!" Snivy's vines lashed Onix with the sounds of rocks cracking as the lashes broke the rock-type's stone hide. A torrent of leaves followed soon after, the gust of wind increasing the damage.

"Repel it with a Dragonbreath, and then finish with a Rock Tomb attack." A green flame burst out of the rock snake's gaping maw as it let loose an air-shaking roar while rocks rose around Snivy to restrict its movement once more. The rocks completely enveloped the Snivy, the green aura around it weakening as it disappeared from sight.

"S...Snivy..." Darius muttered, his head down, when he noticed a bright blue light burst from the rocks. A green blur burst out of the rocks, jumping straight onto Onix's head as the pair became enveloped in a green aura, green tendrils extending from its head that snaked around Onix's body, the aura turning red as Onix screeched in pain. The tendrils dissipated as the green Pokémon returned to battle stance in front of its trainer, much bigger than before with its leaves on its tail fanning out further.

The hiker's face blanched as the newly evolved Servine cracked its vines in the air like whips, snarling at the Onix that grunted before it.

Play: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection- Who is Stronger? Epic Battle!

"A real battle, then! Onix, en garde!" Onix reared back and roared mightily despite its injuries, Servine's injuries still prominent on its body as well as green fiery aura enveloped it.

"Why not a Leaf Tornado?" A gust of wind whipped up as the leaves from surrounding trees joined the attack.

"Dragonbreath, full power!" The green gust blew with full force, matching evenly with the wind as the resultant gust blew sand around the battleground, obscuring both trainers' vision.

The dust cleared a staredown between Onix and Servine, neither able to attack anymore but rather reliant on their willpower to stand as their muscles and bones screamed with pain against them. Onix suddenly became enveloped in green energy as the seed on its body glowed, stealing the last of its energy as its head crashed to the ground before the grass-type.

"We... won..." Darius cried tears of joy and pride as he hugged his Servine after the battle, still amazed that he won his toughest battle yet.

The hiker helped the teary-eyed Darius to his feet as the younger trainer recalled his starter, congratulating him on a job well done as they surveyed the extensive damage caused by the Onix's rampage...


End file.
